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Objective To investigate the relationship between plasma cell mastitis and prolactin. Methods The relationship between the lesion area , degree of inverted nipple and prolactin level of 228 plasma cell mastitis patients were observed , as well as their prolactin level before and after treatment , to explore the factors that influence relapse. Results There was no significant statistical relationship between prolactin level and lesions area and degree of inverted nipple. Prolactin level before and after treatment were statistically different (t =2.347,P = 0.02). Menstrual status, nipple status, comorbidities, lesion area and prolactin level were considered, only prolactin level was related with disease recurrence (P = 0.038). Conclusion prolactin level could significantly reduced as the disease cured , but elevated prolactin may lead to relapse of the disease.
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OBJECTIVE: To observe the effects of Ru'ai Shuhou Recipe (RSR), a compound traditional Chinese herbal medicine, on 5-year recurrence rate after mastectomy in breast cancer. METHODS: A total of 300 patients with breast cancer were divided into two groups: treatment group and control group. The patients in the treatment group were treated with Western medicine and RSR, and the patients in the control group were treated only with Western medicine (the same as the treatment group). In the two groups, the 5-year recurrence rates after mastectomy in breast cancer were investigated. RESULTS: Thirty-four breast cancer patients were lost to five-year follow-up during the course of investigation, and 266 breast cancer patients went through the evaluation. The 5-year recurrence rate after mastectomy in the treatment group was significantly lower than that in the control group (P<0.05). The recurrence rate after mastectomy was influenced by positive lymph node, primary breast tumor size, clinical stage, and patients' health status. There was significant difference in the 5-year recurrence rates between the two groups (P<0.05) under the following conditions, such as the positive lymph nodes more than four, the primary breast tumor larger than two centimeters, and in the clinical stage II and III, estrogen receptor (ER)-positive/progesterone receptor (PR)-positive and ER-negative/PR-negative. The recurrence rate was not associated with the operation method and age distribution. CONCLUSION: RSR can reduce the 5-year recurrence rate after mastectomy in breast cancer.
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OBJECTIVE: To observe the effect of Ruyiping, a traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine composed of 5 Chinese herbs for removing toxic materials and dissipating nodules from Runing II, another traditional Chinese compound herbal medicine for treating breast cancer, in preventing recidivation and metastasis in breast cancer patients after operation. METHODS: Eighty patients with breast cancer after operation were randomly divided into Ruyiping group and Runing II group, and prescribed Ruyiping and Runing II on the basis of chemotherapy, radiotherapy and endocrine therapy respectively for two years. RESULTS: There were two patients with metastasis and three patients lost to follow-up in Ruyiping group and three and two in Runing II group. The recidivation and metastasis rates were 5.41% and 7.89% respectively. The difference between the two groups was not statistically significant (P>0.05). The difference of disease-free survival time between the two groups was also not statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS: The effect of Ruyiping in preventing recidivation and metastasis is similar to that of Runing II. Ruyiping is the essential component of Runing II for preventing recidivation and metastasis. The result provides some clinical evidences for the theory that "Yudu Pangcuan" (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the essential pathogenesis of breast cancer's recidivation and metastasis and the utilization of "Sanjie Jiedu" (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is the therapeutic principle in preventing recidivation and metastasis after operation.
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Breast cancer is called "Ruyan" in literature of traditional Chinese medicine. We synthesized the ancient and contemporary discussions and raised the theory that "Duxie" (poisonous pathogenic factor) is the etiological factor and pathologic product through the whole course of breast cancer. "Liuyin Fudu" (latent poison of six exogenous pathogenic factors) and "Qiqing Yudu" (stagnant poison of seven emotions) are the main etiological factors affecting the breast cancer occurrence. "Aidu Neisheng" (internal product of cancer poison) is the essential change in breast cancer occurrence. "Tandu Yujie" (stagnation of phlegm, poison and blood stasis) is the essential pathogenesis of the breast cancer's development. "Yudu Weiqing" (vestigial poison) is the main pathogenesis of breast cancer after operation. "Yudu Pangcuan" (vestigial poison invasion elsewhere) is the key pathogenesis of recurrence and metastasis after operation. "Sanjie Jiedu" (dispersing accumulation and detoxification) is an important therapeutic principle in breast cancer's treatment after operation. The "Tandu Yujie" pathogenesis theory and "Sanjie Jiedu" therapeutic principle developed the theory about breast cancer in traditional Chinese medicine, and have some clinical application value.
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OBJECTIVE: To explore the mechanisms of the effects of Runing Recipe in anti-invasion and anti-recurrence of breast cancer by experimental research in vitro. METHODS: SD female rats were randomly divided into Runing Recipe-treated group and its decomposed formulas Kidney-Warming Recipe and Liver-Soothing Recipe-treated groups, tamoxifen (TAM) -treated group, cyclophosphamide (CTX) -treated group, and normal control group to make medicated serums. Methods of matrigel basement membrane and real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction were employed to investigate the gene expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-1 (TIMP-1) after MDA-MB-435 cells were treated with the medicated serums. RESULTS: The gene expression of VEGF was dropped in CTX-treated, TAM-treated and Liver-Smoothing Recipe-treated groups. The gene expression of TIMP-1 was up-regulated in CTX-treated, Runing Recipe-treated and Kidney-Warming Recipe-treated groups; while MMP-9 was down-regulated in these groups. CONCLUSION: The mechanisms of Runing Recipe in inhibiting the cancer cell invasion may be related to down-regulating the gene expressions of VEGF and MMP-9, and up-regulating the gene expression of TIMP-1.
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Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) therapy is effective in treating malignant tumor. TCM therapy is a multi-way, multi-layer and multi-target integrated treatment characterized by "survival with tumor" and improvement of life quality. An ideal result of the TCM therapy for cancer should be a positive response of the patient with satisfactory quality of life (QOL) and longer survival time. So it is necessary to introduce the QOL, quantification of symptoms and signs and standardization of TCM syndromes to the objective, quantitative and standardized effect assessment of TCM therapy for cancer. A criterion for evaluating the effect of TCM therapy on tumors should be established, which reflects the characteristics and advantages of the TCM therapy, and meets the requirement of the developing effect assessment of modern medicine in cancer treatment. It is suggested that the treatment effect should be the sum of quality adjusted life years (QALYs) (equal to QOL multiplied by time of survival), syndrome remission rate and tumor remission rate. But the proportion of each of the three is variable, which has close relationships with the different tumor stages and corresponding treatments.